Crouch, A. (1996, November 11). A generation of debtors. Christianity Today, pp. 31-33.

OVERVIEW

Generation X, the birthright of Crouch himself, evinces a deep need for emotional healing. Any number of core experiences linger as festering wounds in the memory of a forgotten posterity, rendering these reluctant benefactors of the Boomer legacy a generation of debtors to whom and by whom much is owed.

Many characteristics of Gen Xers may be explained in terms of this pain. The endless search for love and acceptance, for instance, is a direct consequence of the lack of true family that many Xers experienced in their upbringing. Whether physical or emotional in nature, parental absence or neglect has left scars that can only be made beautiful through the restorative power of the Holy Spirit.

In an effort to effect their own healing, this generation has embarked upon an escalating cycle of consumption, resulting in a tangled web of eating disorders, sexual addiction, drug abuse, and other compulsive behaviors. Such empty pursuits only intensify the sense of futility, as sin can never provide more than a temporary reprieve from the inner distress for which deliverance is sought.

The vicious circle of hurt and sin must be radically broken if recovery is ever going to occur:

The reason our pain retains its power to cripple us is nearly always lack of forgiveness.

We are a generation in debt, and others are in debt to us. The emptiness under our feet is promises that were not kept and never will be-promises to balance the budget, to attend our violin recital, to have and to hold from this day forward, to teach us the difference between good and evil.

The only way for these debts to be settled is if they are forgiven.

Enter the church. A major cause of indifference toward institutional religion on the part of today's youth culture is the perceived failure of the church to offer the generational healing so desperately needed. Xers are critical of a gospel which has all too frequently been circumscribed by an abstract, intellectual faith in Christ that leaves no room for the real presence of God. The love and acceptance of a trustworthy savior must be felt and experienced if the good news is to be at all believable.

As demonstrated at the cross, suffering must be transformed rather than circumvented. Crouch believes that the greatest contribution his generation can make to the church is an honest and practical treatment of human pain. The escapist attitude of contemporary culture is in direct antithesis to the hope procured at the cross. No human institution, program, or ideology will suffice. Repentance and forgiveness, like resurrection, are contingent upon our sharing in the fellowship of Christ's sufferings, and it is in this capacity that Generation X has much to give and much to receive.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. How might you better minister to this generation of debtors in your own situation? Think of some practical ideas.
2. What constitutes a proper balance between the objective aspects of the gospel and the subjective elements of personal experience? How would you contextualize the propositional nature of Scripture to make it relevant to the particular needs and desires of Generation X?
3. How closely can you identify with the insights offered in this article? Are there any core experiences of your own that serve as a testimony?
4. Assess the redemptive posture of suffering, both human and divine. What can be done to bring today's youth culture face to face with the transformative power of the cross?

IMPLICATIONS

1. 1. Generation X shows a general disinterest in the wares of the church. One is tempted to ask where the fault lies. Does the church bear primary responsibility, or is it simply a matter of youthful disrespect for the transmission of tradition? The question is irrelevant. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, petitioning the Father to "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," he was addressing the sinful complicity of every person who would ever pray those words. Forgiveness is a universal requirement, for we are all accountable to one another in the eyes of God-even the elder brother of the prodigal son.
   2. It naturally follows, then, that any ministry which aspires to bring Xers into fellowship with the community of faith must express a vital, pragmatic concern for the hurts that they are striving to alleviate. Genuine humility is integral to this task, as is compassionate empathy. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)." The debt of sin demands a price that could never be paid except by the blood of Christ. This is the sole promise of freedom conferred by the gospel, and it is the unique privilege of the church to present this message in living color to a generation confined in the dank cell of debtor's prison.

William E. Gardner cCYS